Sand Lake Animal Clinic veterinarians and staff work around the clock to provide you and your pet with the utmost care and attention. A happy and healthy pet is our sign of a job well done!

Sand Lake Animal Clinic operates as a comprehensive animal hospital, fully equipped with the latest veterinary technology and facilities. This includes an on-site pharmacy with a wide array of small-animal medicine, as well as a fully-functioning laboratory capable of performing diagnostic procedures accurately and quickly. Please review the following to learn more about the services that we offer at Sand Lake Animal Clinic.

Boarding Policies

We board animals as a service for our clients on a reservation basis. Each animal is kept in an individual cage or run. Our facility is air conditioned and heated for your pet’s comfort. Each compartment is washed and cleaned daily with a disinfectant for your pet’s health. All animals are fed daily with a well-balanced diet. Special diets and medications can be accommodated upon request for a small fee.

For dogs, we require annual vaccinations for rabies, canine distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus and bordatella. We also recommend leptospirosis vaccination.

For cats, we require annual vaccinations for rabies, feline distemper, rhinotracheitis and calici viruses. We also recommend feline leukemia vaccination.

Despite all precautions taken to maintain a healthy environment for your pet, a common malady, tracheobronchitis, often referred to as kennel cough, may develop. This condition is usually not serious but may require medical treatment at owner’s expense. Any health condition that becomes apparent with your pet during their stay in the clinic, including parasites, will be treated at owner’s expense.

Every attempt is made to keep your pet as clean as possible during boarding. However, some pets do become dirty and/or soiled and require a bath during their stay. Baths are also available at departure upon request. All baths given are at owner’s expense. Pets can only be released during regular hours. Cancellations with a minimum of 72 hours advance notice will not be charged.

Restraint

Please keep your pet on a leash, in your arms or in a carrier while in the reception area of the clinic. Every effort is made to avoid contact between patients in the reception area.

Payment Policy/Fees

Sand Lake Animal Clinic accepts personal checks, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. Payment is expected at the time services are rendered. We make every effort to ensure all fees are fair and reasonable, and you are encouraged to discuss any questions regarding treatment before services are rendered.

Annual wellness exams for pets are an important part of any preventative health care program. They allow for early detection of many conditions including heart disease, dental disease, cataracts, diabetes, arthritis, spinal issues and many others; not to mention the best news any guardian can hear from their veterinarian… your pet is both happy and healthy.

We board animals as a service for our clients on a reservation basis. Each animal is kept in an individual cage or run. Our facility is air conditioned and heated for your pet’s comfort. Each compartment is washed and cleaned daily with a disinfectant for your pet’s health. All animals are fed daily with a well-balanced diet. Special diets and medications can be accommodated upon request for a small fee.

For dogs, we require annual vaccinations for rabies, canine distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus and bordatella. We also recommend leptospirosis vaccination.

For cats, we require annual vaccinations for rabies, feline distemper, rhinotracheitis and calici viruses. We also recommend feline leukemia vaccination.

Despite all precautions taken to maintain a healthy environment for your pet, a common malady, tracheobronchitis, often referred to as kennel cough, may develop. This condition is usually not serious but may require medical treatment at owner’s expense. Any health condition that becomes apparent with your pet during their stay in the clinic, including parasites, will be treated at owner’s expense.

Every attempt is made to keep your pet as clean as possible during boarding. However, some pets do become dirty and/or soiled and require a bath during their stay. Baths are also available at departure upon request. All baths given are at owner’s expense. Pets can only be released during regular hours. Cancellations prior to 72 hours will not be charged.

We encourage all of our clients to participate in preventative oral hygiene programs including brushing their pet’s teeth daily, dental chews and the like; but there are times when a patient may require in-patient dental procedures under anesthesia and digital dental radiographs to properly manage more severe cases of periodontal and gum disease, a fractured tooth, a tooth root abscess or possibly an extraction.

We have a complete, state of the art in-house diagnostic laboratory that allows us to run everything from routine blood tests, fecal and urinary analysis, and microscopic cytology to more extensive tests to aid in diagnosing a more urgent illness when your family pet is feeling under the weather.

Digital radiology allows us to rapidly obtain high definition X-rays that are an important diagnostic tool for a variety of patient conditions including lameness, coughing, heart disease, foreign body ingestion, constipation and many other disorders that require more than a physical examination and blood tests to achieve a diagnosis.

When our normal business hours end, Sand Lake Animal Clinic refers all emergency patients to the Veterinary Emergency Clinics of Central Florida, Inc., which are owned and operated by veterinarians in the Central Florida area. The fully equipped and fully staffed VEC facilities are available whenever our clinic is closed, providing quality veterinary care 24 hours a day.

Our staff veterinarians participate on a rotational schedule as needed. We feel this service is paramount in providing quality emergency service for our clients and their pets. To reach VEC clinics, dial (407) 644-4449.

Sand Lake Animal Clinic recommends the Veterinary Emergency Clinic (veconline.com) of Central Florida for all after hours emergencies. This after hours emergency clinic has been serving Central Florida since 1975 and is owned by 140 local veterinarians. If you seek after-hours care at the VEC, we will be notified by fax of your visit as well as the results of all diagnostics done. If you go to an independent after-hours clinic, they will not notify us.

Endoscopy allows a visual examination of internal organs and body parts without invasive exploratory surgery. Common uses of endoscopy is used to inspect the throat, esophagus and stomach for obstructions, but it has other uses as well. Endoscopy can additionally be used for foreign body retrieval. Biopsies can be obtained through an endoscope in the event that a gastrointestinal disease is suspected. The colon can also be visualized and biopsies can be obtained in the event of lower intestinal tract disease.

Fleas and ticks carry a number of life threatening diseases which pose a risk to you and your pet. For this reason, we recommend year-round flea and tick control and carry several products which work well in our environment. We carry the following products.

As an extension of our practice, we have partnered with a local veterinary board certified internal medicine specialist to consult with our veterinarians on unique cases. His skill and experience have proven to be a valuable addition to our diagnostics department and his services can be arranged at our facility.

Countless beloved pets are lost or stolen every year so we encourage that all pets be identifiable by a microchip which is registered with a national database to increase the number of lost pets reunited with their guardian(s).

A torn cranial cruciate ligament is the number one cause for limping in the rear leg of a dog. The cranial cruciate ligament in the dog is the same ligament as the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in humans. Unlike humans, this tear is often the result of subtle, slow degeneration that has been taking place within the ligament rather than the result of trauma to an otherwise healthy ligament. This is why approximately half of the dogs that have a cruciate ligament problem in one knee will, at some future time, develop a similar problem in the other knee.

Surgical options

ccl-1Extra-capsular suture stabilization: This is a traditional surgical treatment that has been performed for many years. The concept of this procedure is to replace the function of an incompetent cranial cruciate ligament with a heavy monofilament nylon suture (a specific brand of fishing line is typically used) placed along a similar orientation to the original cruciate ligament, but outside of the joint (the actual ligament is inside the joint). The suture needs to stabilize the tibia (shin-bone) relative to the femur (thigh bone), while allowing normal knee movement, until organized scar tissue can form and assume the stabilizing role. These techniques tend to have a little bit too much give for larger breeds and active dogs, but work reasonably well in small breeds and inactive dogs when performed by an experienced surgeon. Postoperative care at home is very critical and involves strict activity restriction for approximately six to eight weeks. Premature and excessive activity risks complete or partial failure of the stabilizing suture that can render the surgery a complete or partial failure.

ccl-2Tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA): This method makes a linear cut along the front of the tibia (shin-bone). The front of the tibia, called the tibial tuberosity, is advanced forward until the patellar tendon is oriented approximately 90 degrees to the tibial plateau. This orientation renders the knee relatively stable, independent of the role of the cranial cruciate ligament. The amount of advancement needed to obtain this orientation is determined from X-rays. The cut in the bone is stabilized by the use of a bridging bone plate and screws. We prefer this method to Extra-capsular Suture Stabilization in active dogs, young dogs, dogs more than 40 pounds and dogs that have a relatively stable knee to start with (suture stabilization doesn’t seem to be able to improve these patients much). Dogs who get a TTA tend to start using the leg much quicker and research shows that they have a much more normal movement in their knees postoperatively leading to less arthritis as they get older compared to the Extra-capsular Technique. In some dogs, we discover during their preoperative planning that their knee structure does not lend them to safe or effective application of this technique. You do need to restrict activity for eight weeks after the surgery and a follow-up radiograph is needed at eight weeks post-surgery.

We perform everything from spays and neuters to bladder stone removal, lump removals and many other procedures. Each patient is closely monitored using state of the art digital monitors that provide real-time EKG, oxygen levels, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature. All of our patients also receive pre-anesthesia blood screening to help us make your pet’s surgical procedure as safe and successful as possible.

At Sand Lake Animal Clinic we offer ultrasound examinations as a safe, repeatable way to look inside your pet’s body. Ultrasound has also become a very useful tool for many other situations. We may request an ultrasound exam of your pet for one of the reasons following.

Vaccinations are an important part of any preventative health care program. We understand that a vaccine program should be tailored to your pet’s individual situation and we follow the most up-to-date vaccination protocols based on your pet’s lifestyle and exposure.

Sand Lake Animal Clinic is also proud to provide the following to our patients.

Intensive Care Unit: A self-contained unit to accommodate smaller animals that may require life support or clinical assistance.

Surgical Care Area: This designated area utilizes sterilization techniques and anesthesia before performing surgeries ranging from orthopedics to ophthalmology and beyond.

Group Tours: In order to see our facilities firsthand and determine if Sand Lake Animal Clinic is right for you and your pet, we are pleased to offer tours on request.

At Sand Lake Animal Clinic, we provide compassionate care, attention to detail and the highest caliber veterinary services available. We understand the importance of your pet and strive to make your experience with us an outstanding one. As pet owners and lovers ourselves, we are dedicated to providing unparalleled quality care for your pet at all times.